Monthly Archives: August 2012

Since I’ll be away at Burning Man by the time you read this post, I think it’s appropriate to offer a give-away in the spirit of that event where nothing is allowed to be bought or sold, only given away for free. And do I have something great to give away. A few nights ago, while cleaning out the pile of stuff that has collected once again by my desk, I found a box of MadeOn Lotion products that the owner, Renee Harris, sent me to review in the beginning of this year and which sadly ended up at the bottom of the giant pile of stuff by my desk, unopened and unappreciated.

I have to apologize to Renee because she emphasizes the freshness of her products and is probably horrified to know that they’ve been sitting here for so long. But I have to say that even after waiting unopened for 6 months, these products are still wonderful and smell great.

Packaging: All of the products in this review come in recyclable/reusable metal tins with no… Read the rest

I’m a virgin. A Burning Man virgin. Ever since I learned about the annual tribal celebration of fire and self-expression back in the mid 90’s, I have wanted to go and hang out in the Black Rock Desert and express myself. But I’ve never had a friend who wanted to go with me, until recently, when I met Tracey TieF through this very blog. And that’s appropriate because this year when I go, I’m going to be thinking of ways to do it as Plastic-Free as possible. And what’s more, I’ll be teaching a Plastic-Free class through the Play(a)Skool!

Carrying Water

At Burning Man, participants are required to bring their own water to the playa, which is a very hot and dry place, with temperatures reaching into the hundreds and chances of dust storms (which I hear we will be having this year.) You can imagine, there are a lot of plastic water containers at this event. Many people… Read the rest

Four years ago, I found the perfect plastic-free deodorant solution for me. But after discussing the issue with others, I came to realize that deodorants are not one-size (or smell) fits all. We each have different body chemistries and what works great for me might leave you stinking like a cat litter box and feeling like you’ve been rubbing your pits with poison ivy. Or barbed wire. So, after discovering that my own personal plastic-free deodorant solution doesn’t work for everyone, I set out to find some other options. I wrote about several of them in my book, and since then, have discovered a few more. So, here is a whopping big list of plastic-free, all-natural deodorant solutions. Maybe one could work for you. Or maybe your favorite is not on the list. Please leave a comment below!

Plain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Most of us at this point have gotten in the habit of (or are at least working on) bringing our own reusable bags to the grocery store and refusing take-out food in polystyrene foam containers. (You know, that white foamy stuff we all like to call Styrofoam but actually isn’t Styrofoam because Styrofoam is a brand name that doesn’t actually make foodware.) But then we look around us and see plastic bags blowing down the street and polystyrene bits crumbling into the soil.

Our own personal actions are very important, but they are not enough to halt the problem. We need action on a systemic level. We need our leaders to get involved. But guess what. WE are the ones they are waiting to hear from!

There are several petitions and letter writing campaigns you can get involved in RIGHT NOW. Please take a minute to do it and pass along the word. And even if you don’t live in California or Illinois, there are steps you can take. … Read the rest

I don’t color my hair often, mainly because I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to do it. But once a year, when it’s time for the annual BlogHer conference estrogen fest, I feel the need to cover my graying temples that make me look older than I feel.

(It’s also the time I get my annual pedicure and clean up my crazy eyebrows with homemade sugar wax.) But hair dyes are pretty toxic — even the “natural” ones — and all come in plastic packaging. For a while, I would go to a salon and use the “Don’t ask; don’t tell” method of living plastic-free. If I didn’t see a plastic bottle, it didn’t exist. Clearly, that was cheating.

So I was very happy when I discovered that I could buy henna (which is about as safe as it gets) with less plastic packaging and that it would actually cover my gray! [Note: Your mileage may vary. I’m only gray at the temples… Read the rest